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There are lots of sportspersons who have created some great impact on me. I have been a fan of The Undertaker when I was a child, and I used to be a big fan of Saurav Ganguly later. Well, I no longer use the word fan because I have never been that kind of a fan that hates everyone who doesn’t like his or her favourite celebrities. I have been a person who admired these people who have had great impact on me. But there has been one person whom I really needed to write about.

I am talking about that person who is considered to be the greatest tennis player of all-time, and I never had any doubt about that. As you might have guessed the name of that person by now, this blog post is about Roger Federer. If you look at the records, you will know there are so much of achievements which he got inside his pockets. He has broken many records and has created his own including that of the most Grand Slams won and the most time spent as the world number one.

Well, I believe that you know most of it, and so, this post is going to about the impact that he has made on me rather than the impact which he has made on the tennis world. Even though the impact in tennis can be considered bigger, it is not that much behind in my case either. I have always believed in Roger Federer, and whether he wins or not, he has been the one who made the most impact on me, a lot more than any other sportsperson, and I am extremely glad about that.

I have always compared Federer to a certain kind of tennis poetry, with the way in which he has been playing, not making those terrible sounds or trying so hard. He just moves around seemingly without any trouble, and there is no overdose of emotions like some other players who are rather too aggressive with showing off after each shot. The biggest impact that his style has had on me is to control the emotions. It has helped me to take a game, whether it is badminton, cricket or football as a game in its own spirit.

Another impact that he has had is on my way of playing badminton. Yes, badminton is not tennis and also vice versa. I have never played tennis, but I have played a lot of badminton. So, I have tried to use his style of play in badminton, and that backhand has worked for me as a surprise weapon; the tennis forehand also works! Well, I have been accused of playing badminton like tennis, but there is this impact that Roger Federer has made, and I could never try not to do that.

He has won awards for sportsmanship, and has been the fan favourite for so long, and there is no surprise about it. I have never really stopped believing in Federer; I have always known that he will be the impact-maker no matter how the world changes. He also founded the Roger Federer Foundation to help the children in need. He has been a person known for his philanthropy too, as he has also made an impact outside the court. If you ask me about tennis, there is Roger Federer and then there is everyone else.

In the last few years, I have realized that I only liked Federer better and his performance never really mattered. It was all about the way in which he played and how he has been on the court as well as outside the court that has made such a huge impact on me. I have always been interested in Federer for being the person that he has been. It is never going to change, no matter what comes around in the upcoming years. He had that impact on me and it is forever, without conditions; it is the impact of tennis poetry on court and a great human being outside it.

***The images used in this blog post are from the Official Facebook Page of Roger Federer.

This year’s Christmas is going to be special around here. No, I am not going to celebrate much this time too, as celebrations are not really part of my life, whether it is a festival, birthday or any significant day. The celebrations are going to be about the movies this time. You know that the movies like Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani have already released, and the Malayalam movies like Anarkali, Amar Akbar Anthony, Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam, Pathemari, Rajamma@Yahoo, Salt Mango Tree and Ennu Ninte Moideen are still running in the theatres here, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens on the way. Lets take a look at the Malayalam movies getting ready for release on this Christmas.

Jo and the Boy: Manju Warrier once again takes the role of protagonist here after sharing the space with Rima Kallingal in the highly inspirational flick, Rani Padmini. The movie seems to be centred around the theme of “happiness” and there is something about finding the same. Sanoop Santhosh of Philips and the Monkey Pen fame will play the character of “the boy” here. This one will surely remind us of that same movie, and so we can be sure that something feel-good and inspirational can be found in this one too. Aren’t these the kind of movies that we need? It seems to be so as of now, but lets wait for this movie to release. The challenge will be huge for Christmas, and this one needs to thrive!

Charlie: The most awaited movie is indeed Charlie. It comes from the maker of big hits like Best Actor and ABCD, but both are not among the movies which I have liked. It had me in doubts, but unlike those two movies which had nothing new, Charlie looks special, and it remains so with only a few days to its release. With all the hype which has been built around this movie, Dulquer should be the star of this Christmas; Charlie even comes one day before the rest of the movies as it releases on December 24th. I also need to get out that terrible feeling from his previous movie, 100 Days of Love. No, I don’t need any dumb fan to come up with the list of box-office collections for that particular flick; for it is that attitude of the blind fan groups which needs to change.

Style: Now that sounds simple, and what this movie has more than anything else is this style. This one is supposed to be a big action thriller, and should have some masala around it too. Unni Mukundan plays the hero, and it seems to work very well, while Tovino Thomas who also stars in Charlie is here as the villain – this will be the performance that many people will be looking out for, that is for sure. Meanwhile, Priya Kandwal makes her debut here, and she has a charming presence in the trailer. Balu Varghese will handle the funny side. There are some interesting song sequences which will add to making this one a full entertainer. Style comes from the same team that brought us the movie Ithihasa.

Adi Kapyare Kootamani: It should be another fun movie in store for Christmas with Adi Kapyare Kootamani, as it has Dhyan Sreenivasan, Aju Varghese and Neeraj Madhav coming right out of Kunjiramayanam, the big fun movie of the year. If we replace Dhyan with Nivin Pauly, this would be more like Oru Vadakkan Selfie, and that is fun too. Namitha Pramod comes out of what might have been her only meaningless role in her career which she played in Amar Akbar Anthony, and she is rightfully suitable with this team. Mukesh will play the role of a priest, and as the story unfolds in a boys’ hostel, there seems to be scope a lot of comic sequences. We can only wait and see how much it can make us laugh.

2 Countries: The first thing that comes to your mind while seeing the poster of this movie is My Boss which was the complete comedy entertainer starring Dileep and Mamta Mohandas who returns here. That should make it interesting for the viewers to go for the movie, even though the name Jeethu Joseph is not associated with it. There is also a nice supporting cast including Aju Varghese, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Mukesh and Jagadish. Even though the title does make sense with its literal meaning, how it will work more might be in the form of how we Keralites use the word “country people”, and that should be where this movie can manage to make things even funnier. Dileep once again goes to another country with marriage, like in Life of Josutty – it seems.

With all these movies around, the question might be more about getting the theatres ready to show the flicks. We are actually coming right out of a theatre strike, and Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani staying there, Star Wars: The Force Awakens will also arrive, and there will be a battle for theatres. I don’t remember many occasions when five movies giving high hopes came to releease at the same time. Thankfully, Mohanlal starrer Puli Murugan, Mammootty starrer Puthiya Niyamam, Nivin Pauly starrer Action Hero Biju and Prithviraj starrer Paavada won’t be coming here for this season – think about these four too in the theatres next month – and there are big Hollywood movies coming in January!

***The images used in this blog post are from the Official Facebook Pages of the movies (Jo and the Boy, Style and 2 Countries).

I recently came across Spartacus, the television series which was inspired by the tales and historical accounts of Spartacus, a Thracian fighter and a later gladiator who had started a grand slave uprising against the Roman Republic. I have been looking forward to watching this one since a long time ago, but got the chance only later. The Third Servile War which occurred between 73 and 71 BC, depicted here has the take mostly from the viewpoint of the slaves and has more to do with ideals of Spartacus himself as expected.

I have managed to watch all the three episodes and also the prequel. Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Spartacus: Vengeance and Spartacus: War of the Damned as well as the prepared prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena brings the story of the slave rebellion with interesting changes, and stylish presentation of another page from the history stained with blood and war. There is no shortage of moments which would make the parental guidance advisory list very long with its sex and violence, but Spartacus remains big entertainment.

The question about Spartacus aim being immediate freedom or ending slavery will forever be doubted, and so will the extended aims behind them. But this television series got us the legendary slave himself, giving life to the historical figure in an interesting way, beginning as the man who is sold to slavery and wishes to free himself and his wife from Rome as he rises in the gladiator ranks eclipsing the champion of the time, Crixus the undefeated Gaul by defeating the man they called “the shadow of death”. But with the death of his wife, and knowledge of treachery, he changes his path.

The first season is actually the best of them all, with interesting gladiator fights and an end which is very much satisfying with the death of the bad people of the time. It also has the one Roman who remains respected throughout the season until death, a feature which is absent otherwise. The battles as well as the opponents are very much catching our attention too. This has Spartacus moving away from the aim of being with his wife and focuses on freeing the other slaves from captivity.

Viva Bianca and Lucy Lawless are the ones who continues the awesomeness of the first season into the second from the Roman side. Replacing Lesley-Ann Brandt with Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Naevia comes as the big mistake of the second season, with Andy Whitfield already being lost to cancer and Liam McIntyre replacing him as Spartacus. Even though that latter replacement does work later, the change of the lady playing Naevia works completely against the series.

Except for a few battle tactics and some talks about ideas, Spartacus: Vengeance remains the weakest of all seasons. The only hope remains Katrina Law as Mira and Nick E. Tarabay as Ashur along with Viva Bianca and Lucy Lawless in a story which is less thick. The later efforts from Gannicus also bring some relief to this one, and the ending is fair. Even with two of the best Roman female characters dead, the excitement returns to Spartacus: War of the Damned as the ideals as well as the aim becomes clear here.

The last season is the deciding one, as Spartacus understands that justice will never exist in this world and decides to leave beyond the reach of Rome while Crixus decides to march on Rome with his people only to meet his end to the large army of highly trained Legionaries. Gannicus getting his spot is the biggest boon of this movie, and in the end, we know what happens. The prequel deals with how Gannicus had risen to the great hero and the God of the Arena. I would talk about these in detail later, and consider this post as what has come to my mind right after watching all the seasons.

***The images used in this blog post are from the Official Facebook Page of Spartacus television series.

I have always wanted my room to be different and personal. Some people will call it weird, but I wouldn’t mind that. If my room doesn’t have something special compared to the others, it wouldn’t be mine at all. Even when we were staying at the flat, I had taken special care in having some variety with the colours, and now when we are at our house, I have tried to bring a lot of variety there too. My room is partially bed room, study room and kitchen, as you can divide my room into three.

Yes, I would like my room to be a lot different than any other. The current room was chosen by me because it was on the back side of the house, facing the green vegetation which surrounded the abandoned house there. It served as a certain kind of inspiration for me. There is no chance of me changing this room and choosing another. So, I hope to make this room my little dream world. I already got it coloured in three, in red, blue and yellow, and even though I would have preferred a little bigger room, I am hoping to make it more awesome!

The Godrej Interio photo actually inspires me to use another colour for my room, and it is purple. I believe that this colour can bring only positive feeling, and I haven’t yet seen the colour being used in the homes of my friends and relatives. People have always chosen the light colours, but I would choose the darker ones, and while brightening the red colour on one side of the wall, I would choose purple for the rest of the room. That should bring some more of the needed variety to the room.

I already have facilities for placing a lot of items in my room even as the total size of the room is not that huge. There are enough cupboards here to keep my whole life in it, and what I would require now are open shelves where I can keep things which are needed regularly. For the same, I hope to make good utilization of the walls. I already have some wall shelves, but I hope to get a few bigger ones which can be used to the best advantage. I will need to have those of different sizes.

I would need to change the bed with something which is longer, and surely made of wood. I would need a new almirah to replace the big one which is present now. My favourite material for all these has been mahogany as usual. There is also space for an extra computer table along with the study table. I would have that made of the same material too. I have a hanging light right now, and I would like to use a chandelier instead of it so that I look up while I am on the bed and enjoy its beauty.

My room’s curtains are dark purple now, and with the change of colours of the wall, I would like to change this one to brown or red depending upon the designs which are available. I need a better stand for putting the recently used clothes along with an extra wardrobe on the side. I haven’t been a fan of fashion, but this will surely help in getting things in order. Some art on the wall will only do good. Some creatives pieces of art should also be places on the shelves to give some more of the special feeling.

My room is no awesome room as far as designers are concerned, because they can always use better rooms to create better output. But I have been so addicted to my room that sleeping somewhere else is not that easy. But if you visit the room, you will know that it is different, and there is a certain mixture of things that might seem interesting. With all which has been already set up, it will be easy to create something awesome out of it. There can be more variety than ever before.

The title concerns Renault Lodgy, and it has become the new talk of the town now. This new car from Renault with competes with the market favourites like Toyota Innova and Maruti Ertiga surely has the strength to pull of a big win if you have a look at the vehicle as well as its features. Seemingly the most beautiful and also the more different among the cars of its class including the seemingly stretched Honda Mobilio, Renault Lodgy has definitely caught our attention. Lets see what our team has to say about what they wish to take with them on their next journey.

Vampire Bat: I am finally going to take this cup of tea with me on a journey. It has been a couple of disappointing long trips which I had in the last few months because there was no tea. One of them was on a harthal day that there was no option for having tea, which left me deeply hurt. I love the cup holders and flight tray here. This time, nobody is forcing me to miss my cup of tea; not even Uncle Dracula or those random humans who give regular dumb advice. I am going to bring my tea with me on this trip, and there is no force that can stop me.

Vampire Crocodile: Do you know how much I read? These people never really allowed me to take my favourite books for the journeys, but not now with all the space around in the Renault Lodgy. The journey should also be so comfortable and I might be able to read during the travel too. It will be an awesome ride. I am going to buy some extra books in the next few days for the same reason. We crocodiles are not known for being the intellectual ones, but I am going to change that, which is why this sojourn is going to be very special for me.

Vampire Owl: I am going to take these cricket equipment with me. It has been such a long time since I last played a cricket match. It has been so long that I almost forgot how hold the bat. This is kind of depressing for most of the Indians, and even I have always loved to play the game rather than watch it. I am going to take these equipment with me on the Renault Lodgy to the ground far away. Yes, we vampires play cricket too. You got any problem with that? We take flying catches, and we are the ones who first inspired the diving catches. Renault Lodgy has space for my full collection.

Vampire Alligator: I am taking my camera with the tripod. Renault Lodgy is such a beauty which inspires photography. I will need to stop it somewhere on the way and take a few awesome snaps outside and inside the vehicle. Renault Lodgy at a nice natural background – it will look too good; I am also hoping to extend the journey further to those places which are rarely visited. It will be like a world inside another world – an interesting thought for our annual meeting to ponder about, right? Yes, Vampire Hamster, you are next, in the absence of the Vampire Crow, Vampire Cat and Vampire Raven.

Vampire Hamster: I have actually forgotten my basic idea, but I am going to share these ideas from Vampire Panda and Vampire Penguin. They wish to bring their pets with them, and the latter also wants to bring his gaming console with him as it seems to be a major part of his life. The former wants to bring his personal computer, and that reminds me that I wish to bring the printer and speakers too. I think that Renault Lodgy has so much space that we should think about adding a few other things to the list.

That would be all the Team Vampire with what they wish to bring with the Renault Lodgy. They are not that different from us, right? What would be your things to take on a journey in Renault Lodgy? I am sure that Renault Lodgy has caught your attention as it did for me; it is something that Toyota Innova and Maruti Ertiga never did for me during the launch. May be Renault Lodgy has something special in store, more than what meets the eye with the first look. #LiveLodgycal

I’m participating in the #LiveLodgycal contest with Renault in association with BlogAdda to get a chance to be a part of the #LiveLodgycal Drive in Goa.

Vampire Owl: This is kind of weird. In the name of Uncle Dracula and all the elder vampires, tell me that this is not happening.

Vampire Bat: Yes, this is happening. They like to move it, and move it again.

Vampire Owl: What? No! They are not supposed to be good dancers. They are just a group of vampire apprentices. The Vampire Cat there is pretending to dance – he is actually looking at others and moving his legs to the front and back.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but they have been training to participate in the dance program organized by the World Vampire Council as part of the anniversary of the first great vampire victory over the zombies to claim the New Vampire World.

Vampire Owl: Can you see how they are dancing? I think that the stage will fall on their heads. Look at Vampire Hamster, he is forgetting his steps before he even understands it. I don’t understand the point. And what is it that the Vampire Penguin is singing? Vampire Panda is singing something else at the same time. There is no focus and there is no skill. What are these people trying to do? Wait! Is Uncle Dracula aware of this? This is like jumping into the Pit of Death.

Vampire Bat: Let me make one thing perfectly clear. We no longer have the Pit of Death. We sold it to the Dark Elves at OLX. The maintenance was getting a little bit difficult, as you know the pit has no bottom and we can never really clean it completely. The zombie labour has also become so costly and our apprentices are too lazy. And why are you underestimating the power of a common vampire? We are all artists because we don’t automatically go to become engineers just because our parents tell us to do that.

Vampire Owl: Can’t you see that mess? Don’t you get it? They are going to be laughed at. There is no way these people are going to make any positive impact there. The legendary vampires are going to be there. After this is over, we won’t be even able to borrow money from the International Vampire Fund. Come on, I need some relief fund for polishing my fangs. How can I apply for that?

Vampire Bat: This is why someone is going to teach them how to dance. He is the master of the coolest steps anybody can take on stage. He is like the legend in this, and he is going to dance with them, right at the middle. He is human, but has agreed to join us because he is cool and we are cold-blooded.

Vampire Bat: What? No! It is Allu Arjun. Why are you going to too many places when it is written on the banner over there? All these years traveling around South India, especially Kerala is of no use to you, it seems.

Vampire Owl: Oh yes! I didn’t notice that. This is going to be too good then. He is going to make it awesome! But still, the music side is left with no hope. There is the need for someone to take care of that too. And please don’t make the Vampire Crocodile do that; the Lake Placid music is something which cannot be tolerated.

Vampire Bat: Which is why Anushka Manchanda is going to be here. She will be the one singing and will also arrange everything else, and the vampire team will just do the lip sync. She will also give a few lessons at the vampire schools around.

Vampire Owl: She is going to be here? I always wanted her autograph. I also wish to take a selfie with her.

Vampire Bat: The highlight of the program is going to be at that moment when his dance steps and her voice comes together – it will last four minutes and fifty seven seconds in total. The vampire team won’t have much to do because all the focus are going to be on these two on that day.

Vampire Owl: I can’t imagine the energy there. It is going to be electrifying. I feel that may be it can lift a weak elder vampire out of his wheel chair.

Vampire Bat: That is disrespectful. The elder vampires are supposed to be on their chairs. It is challed the Throne of the Elders for a reason. They have attached wheels to it so that they don’t have to strain too much. But yes, if the deadly combination of Anushka Manchanda and Allu Arjun can’t make someone stand up from their seats, nobody else can. It will be the #MaxFreshMove moment!

Vampire Owl: I thought that Uncle Dracula was against too much dance and music – how did he end up agreeing?

Vampire Bat: I told him the names, Anushka Manchanda and Allu Arjun, along with giving him some videos of their performances. He instantly agreed and even telephoned Mavis to return from school for the program.

Vampire Owl: I hear a car stopping outside, or it might be my seventh sense.

Vampire Bat: Car on the vampire grounds? It seems that at least one of them has reached here early.

They heard a beautiful voice singing “Ek Main Aur Ek Tu” and could also hear dance steps making way through the dark passage which connected the auditorium and the garage. The lights were switched on and they automatically converged and focused on two people, and the two who were dressed in black separated to divide the lights.

Vampire Owl: Yes, they are here. We are saved. Glory to the vampire elders.

Vampire Bat: Come on everyone, we have work to do!

Vampire Panda: Oh my dear Anushka!

Vampire Bat: What? Your Anushka? Just don’t overdo it.

***The images used in this blog post are from the Official Facebook Pages of these two special celebrities whom I have been talking about.

Count Dracula was preparing for the first All-Nation Conference at the United Races Imperial Organization Centre which is within the High Elf lands. He represented the New Vampire World on this first ever peace conclave which was attended by the representatives of all nations of the realm including the shadows. He was searching all around the room for one special thing, but it was clear that he never found the same.

Uncle Dracula: This is impossible. I can’t go for this meeting. We are supposed to have some variety here. I am unable to choose a style which is different or even something which suits the vampire model.

Vampire Owl: You have your vampire cloak which you have been wearing for centuries. It is your usual model, and you always wear the black with a very small touch of red or white with which people identify you.

Uncle Dracula: No, it is too common. It is like what everyone have seen me in, and they will think that I never have a shower or change my clothes. I am a supposed to be a world leader. I need to look stylish. All the garment shops in our nation have the same kind of clothes only, and the vampire fashion is always the same. What am I to do?

Vampire Bat: Why don’t you go and visit an online shopping website?

Uncle Dracula: Yes, I have some of the links to the websites saved on my laptop and I did search, but couldn’t find the right clothing there either.

Vampire Bat: There lies the problem. The best online shopping website for fashion is no longer available on the internet in your laptop. It has gone app only. You need to use it on Android, iOS or may be get your first mobile with the Windows Phone.

Uncle Dracula: They are app only? Why?

Vampire Bat: Well, fashion is unique for everyone, and for this personal experience, mobile phone is the best option. You wanted to be different and special for the conclave, and this is the best option in that case. The App Party with fifty to seventy percent offer was till yesterday, but you can still find some nice options now.

Vampire Owl: In the men’s section, among the coats and jackets, get the John Players Men Beige Wool Blend Slim Fit Blazer. These Navy Blue Aviator Sunglasses which I am wearing were bought from Myntra too.

Vampire Bat: You need to buy some jewellery for the vampire brides too. Otherwise, they are going to be bloody unhappy.

Uncle Dracula: It is indeed interesting. I always peferred to have it on the mobile phone. Otherwise, Mavis always tampers with the laptop. She has become such a big IT pain on my fangs. Things will be easier with the app – after all, this is my personal device as of now, and it is time to stop downloading only those endless running games.

Vampire Owl: There has already been about ten million downloads, and so you are too late – just get into it.

Vampire Bat: No, Uncle Dracula is never late. As this is a personal thing, another world of style begins with the uncle going through the same. You personal space will bring a new level of awesomeness to the world.

Uncle Dracula: It will always be with me, and shall be so easy to use. So I don’t see a reason why I am to choose against it.

Vampire Owl: Ex-act-alley!

Vampire Bat: What was that? Did you just say the word “exactly” like an undead zombie pirate who died while trying to raid the New Vampire Harbour?

Vampire Owl: Just trying another personal style, this time with words. No dead or undead pirate model here. No undead was harmed related to this.

Uncle Dracula: Yours is no style anymore! Get ready for my unique style from the Myntra android App of mine! Go and come back tomorrow. You shall see something special. And don’t tell Mavis.

You might have read about it before – Myntra went app only on the Fifteenth of May. You can download it from Google Play Store, Apple or Windows Store according to your platform, and it is going to be exclusive for only one kind of device, the mobile phone which is in your hands. Yes, Myntra goes more personal, and it will now be with you only as the app that joins your team of mobile applications.

***The images used in this blog post are from the Official Facebook Page of Myntra, and is supposed to support this write-up.

Coming back to those videos which were made as part of Crash the IPl programme, there were a few which could have been made better with a few changes. There is innovation hidden right there which haven’t really come out as expected. But a few changes are sure to bring enough power to to these advertisements and they can be used by the Pepsi a lot better than their winners and finalists or their own Ads!

Crash the Pepsi IPL – “Craze for Pepsi” Uploaded by Nikita Pagare
It is always better to go back to old model of gaining things – that is to scare people, especially when there is no scope for a civil war in the house. This is something that can work wonders. But this could have been better working with more than just the hair. The Grudge model is not that effective for everyone, and if Anniyan was intended, this is the wrong hair. A little bit more make-up would have been done a lot of favour to this advertisement. There is nothing about jumping from the top of a cliff or building – this is a simple thing to do.

Crash The Pepsi IPL – “Do it Abhi!” Uploaded by Mikhail Shah
I thought that this was well shot and worked with the basic idea of getting one’s love very well even though this works on a luck based situation rather than anything else. Still, there is nothing special about it – may be they could have used the first and the last few seconds to generate the same. You have to applaud the quality of this one though, and the cast is also very good and suitable. It is just the punch which was needed, and may be if this had a very much longer version, things could have worked in a more special way.

Crash The Pepsi IPL – “Jeeto par pyar se” Uploaded by Ayush Sapra
There is the idea of winning and then being magnanimous. It is only fair to be good after being victorious – not being like those bloody conquerors of the past. May be this one could have had more focus on the same and finally coming up with the Pepsi. More detail could have done the advertisement a lot more good, as this is more like something we have been knowing and watching other forms for quite a long time. Still, there seems to be an attempt to make it much better with this one.

Crash The Pepsi IPL – “#LiveItAbhi” Uploaded by Sanghamitra Dasgupta
I think that it is time that Pepsi uses some animation for their advertisements. This is more like an advertisement which could have gone out of being this simple because this idea of things getting better with a drink has been used so much everywhere. But it is still good to watch as an animated alternative. May be there could have bigger twists in the desert, and Pepsi can always come up better animation if they use this. Seeing some of those advertisements which not much acting and the others with random celebrities who do more bad than good, may be this is the need for the day.

Crash The Pepsi IPL – “Meri Pepsi” Uploaded by Sachin Barthwal
I feel that this advertisement do have the potential to be a lot better with the fight over Pepsi. A number of sequences showing the battle over Pepsi could have made this a nice treat, and a good amount of scenes could be added over there, with them ending quick enough but making the desired impact. We have seen funny fight scenes nicely done to good impact, like in the movie Angry Babies, and this needs to shift its focus to making such interesting fun with Pepsi being at the centre of all action. No, don’t go too much further, but keep it funny enough.

***This blog post is related only to those advertisements which I thought could be better, and would have worked nicely as the Pepsi Ads with changes being made. It is only about those which I have personally thought to have potential and has no relation to the best that could be. It is just an opinion and not a judgment, and so you needn’t bother about why another advertisement was not selected over one of these.

Jupiter Ascending is the latest addition to the long list of science fiction movies in space as it follows the path of Guardians of the Galaxy. It is clear that the critics are biased on this one if we compare the ratings given to this one and a number of similar movies. May be they completely failed to get the point. Unfortunately, the 18+ rating mostly slams the door for it here too, when it could have been a big thing here otherwise with nobody knowing or caring about The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.

They should have thought more about it – this might be one of the biggest mistakes that they have made with a movie which has kept the fans waiting for so long. They should have known the kind of audience to target – those who go for Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man, , Hulk, Thor, Superman and such audience. It might be a box-office flop because of the prejudice and the failure of people to catch on to ideas, but there are a few paths which this movie can follow with the story for a sequel.

1. The war between the successors: We are left with members of alien royalty not really able to stand each other as they hope for more conquests. Along with battling for the same worlds, there can also be war for acquiring those planets far away in other galaxies, and with our heroine basically against the idea of harvest, sparks should fly with this one, and the visuals should get the best boost. The action sequences can also be nicely packed with the visuals here. Mila Kunis will have a bigger and a stronger role to play in this one as the Queen of Earth and the rest of her share.

2. The defence against other royalty: Another possibility is the war against a better equipped alien race which can claim for the divided thrones, and in this case, even with hatred against each other, the members of the royal house can unite, but not without leaving chances for some treachery. The common enemy can be ruthless, but the differences remain, testing one’s allegience. Our hero would have a bigger role to play in this one, making those decisions which are beyond the direct control of royalty. There will be huge and better designed space ships, aliens and gadgets with a nice race of royalty entering the action.

3. The return of the master villain [spoilers here]: We know what happened by the end of the movie, and you better don’t read this paragraph if you don’t want to know before watching the flick. But otherwise, there was the supposed end of the biggest antagonist and the owner of Earth who hoped to harvest the planet for the serum that would give him eternal youth. Well, we can’t be sure that he was dead there, and in a movie like this, there is very low chance of people remaining dead. Ask Groot of Guardians of the Galaxy. Even Interstellar had our protagonist not dying even after going through the black hole. Megatron of the Transformers franchise know the best about how to keep coming alive. So, we can have him better here.

4. A background story of royalty: This one can go on without having to go forward with the tale. A prequel telling the original story of the royalty can do this movie a lot good as long as the plot is solid. Mila Kunis can keep her role, this time as the mother, and this origin of the harvest in Earth can have a better and clear explanation. Everybody needs an origin story, and what we have here only works as an origin tale for Jupiter Jones. A lot more goes back in the past, and that can be nicely explored to give this movie more power. It will also be a work of immense beauty on the screen.

Jupiter Ascending could have had better business here with another certificate and more shows. Its sequel or prequel should do better than this one for sure. This was kind of a perfect week for its release considering the fact that there are no big challenges for its genre this time, and most of the theatres choosing The Boy Next Door instead of this is a big shame. People only need movies which brings things too direct like Guardians of the Galaxy or be the pseudo-intellectual like Interstellar, I guess. But if you haven’t watched the visuals of Jupiter Ascending in 3D, you have seen nothing. Check for my review on the same: (https://moviesofthesoul.wordpress.com/2015/02/06/jupiter-ascending)

***All the images used in this blog post are from the official Facebook Page of the movie.

This is my 100th post at Tea Cerebrations, and an interesting fact is that this century was attained on the 200th day of this blog – 100 (200) with one post on every two days : Not bad for a test match hundred, right? 😀

I have got my hat-trick extended with the Very Inspiring Award here 😀 And thanks to Namrata (http://namratakumari.blogspot.in) this happened so fast 😉 There are certain special facts about her being the inspirational one for my blogs: 1. She has been commenting on all my blogs for a very long time; 2: She was the first one to comment on this blog; 3: She was the first blogger friend to be on my Facebook friends list. So, Namrata the inspirational blogger has provided me with this inspirational award (http://namratakumari.blogspot.in/2015/01/very-inspiring-blog-award.html) which inspires me and makes me feel like an inspirational blogger 😀 Thank you 🙂

Seven things about me:
1. I feel that working for Romanian tourism will be nice, especially concentrating on a castle 😀
2. My favourite among the sweet ones are white chocolate and milk peda.
3. The only vouchers I have ever known are from Flipkart.
4. The only district in Kerala where I have not gone on a trip is Kasargod (have just traveled through).
5. I seem to think more than The Thinker 😉
6. I doubt what is easier in this modern world; me getting a job or finding goodness in people.
7. I strongly believe that Vikram is the greatest actor India has ever produced.

So, Simona the Lionhearted makes it to the next year. This is the first time that a kitten has stayed with us for a New Year, and also for more than a month. SI-MO is a great achiever in that case, and done well enough to adapt to her new home. She is now aware of each corner of the house and reacts to the voices that she hears. Not ready to be alone, she is quick to run to any place which has humans; she keeps waiting for human voice and she is good at detecting mine.

But there has been the mighty presence of the forces of evil. There have been two kinds of the same. The first is the kind that doesn’t like the so called “creatures” at home, and in their opinion, cats and dogs are the ones which bite and should be abandoned. They feel that these creatures as injurious to humans. They are not good for human health and throwing them into the canal is rather appropriate – this kitten should have stayed in the canal according to them.

I think a venomous snake has caught my legs. Mayday! Mayday! 😀

The second type is those who say that only dogs should be allowed at home, and it is a strange logic indeed, when this kitten has required so less attention so far. A derivation from the same, thinks that only cows and goats should be raised for milk and chicken for eggs. According to them, there has to a benefit for having pets – I would say that there is something from Simona, and it is happiness. She has been good to me throughout her life, unlike most of the humans.

I am the Elastic Kitty. See how far I can stretch. And see, only two legs 😀

Yes, Simona has new needs now. Even as she found no interest in kuzhalappam, she was instantly attracted to murukku, a special version of the same called thengapaal murukku which we have been recently interested in, and Simona also cares to join us. All the bakers in the world should have her attention now. Her interest for food has been increasing at the same speed as her need for more playing time, as her active nature has reached another level.

I love my Mickey Mouse. And I had this pose in my mind for a long time 😀

She also has a Mickey Mouse bell around her neck now, something which is there to make sure that she is not a random wanderer kitten, but does have a family to look after her. The problem of wandering does have the other side of terror, with those bigger male feral cats wandering around the house, especially one big creature coloured grey and white. There are also too many stray dogs around, some of them even known to have bitten humans in the past during night and early morning.

I am like a tiger looking for the prey; the predator hiding in the darkness 😀

One has to worry about her safety and keep her at home, especially when thinking about the disappearance of the former cat, Zeezee. For now, Simona will thrive inside the house by herself and under the watch around the building. But the question remains what will happen if she chooses to go out by herself. I would guess that it is only a matter of time until she makes that choice without us looking. When she chooses to leave one day, I hope that she comes back.

Until then, lets be impressed by how well she plays football with the ping-pong ball and how nice is her dribbling skills. She takes it and goes between the legs passing through the open door to score that goal. Yes, may be she can play in ISL next year. After all, she is capable of a lot more things, even as she is named after one tennis player. I wonder what new special skills she can come up with 😀 *All photos seen this blog post were taken on my Sony Cybershot DSC-W310.

The presence of Simona the Lionhearted a.k.a SI-MO the Kitty, the most valiant cat of its times at our home has passed a month in total with a few days extra, as of now. November 28 was her day of baptism, with the date of birth unknown, and after being named Simona, she has made a lot of progress these days. She has turned more playful, and is also so much quicker than she used to be – you can miss her easily if you just turn your eyes away for even a second. And yes, she is having a lot more food, and knows what to do when she needs food.

New avatar: Simona is one of the legendary explorers of the Newfoundland.

Simona is not just a kitten now as she has become part of the family. She is no longer afraid. She seems to understand and realize things better now, like sitting on a sofa only when someone is present, and also to stay with the company of her newfound family instead of being alone. She is never happy when she is left alone, and nowadays, she is very much aware of the house, as she often comes all the way up to my room and starts knocking on the door whenever she wants to play.

A kiss to whatever it is, and tries to bring it down, just because she can. Kitten power.

Sometimes, Simona is the Phantom, the ghost who walks, and it is impossible to detect her, but the cover is blown when she finds a familiar leg which she wants to hug. On another day, she might be The Flash, going faster than any creature that has ever set foot in our house. On another occasion, she might be Mandrake, the magician who plays with her magic wand which should the splinters made of any type of wood. There are times when she becomes the enchanting Carmilla, ready to bite the lesser mortal creatures with her mighty little fangs.

Simona can smell what the Rock is cooking. A big wrestling related question answered here.

Simona was never the first cat that we have given some space in our home. You might have already read about Zeezee (https://theteacerebration.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/zeezee-the-oracle/) – the one who is no longer with us. There have been predecessors. There was the pure white kitten which spent time while jumping around our shuttle cat and the pure black kitten which had some happy times around our world, both being hit by cars. There was also another kitten going back to my childhood, which is believed to have been kidnapped.

Simona’s mother had told her that she could climb a tree – first attempt being made here.

But Simona had stayed and mingled with us like no other kitten has done before. She has adjusted with her home and seems to have fallen in love with it. We do keep an eye on her though, as there is a big cat wandering around on the top of the walls and there are lots of stray dogs roaming around just outside the gate. We shall keep an eye on her all the time and try our best to make sure that her time in home remains awesome.

The blue flowers. Simona has seen the Morning Glory and she will soon find the location 😀

My friend, James dedicated this song to Simona and yes she is getting older now – see how much bigger she is now from the earlier post I had put on my log (https://theteacerebration.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/how-i-met-my-kitten/) 😀 When this kitten gets older and becomes the La Belle Dame Simona, there comes the bigger responsibilities; may be she can listen to this one later 😀 If you wish to dedicate something more for her, you are welcome 🙂

As I still keep worrying that she might one day go out and be in trouble, you are also welcome to give me some suggestions about having a cat at home. I haven’t had the opportunity to have one at home for this long a period along with becoming this close, until now. Any advice is welcome, but only in the case of cats 😀 May be this will also inspire me to have another pet at home, and the next one might not be a cat – who knows? 😉

William Shakespeare, in his Sonnet Number 116, talks about rosy lips and cheeks. He tells his readers how insignificant the beauty of body is, in the case of true love. This actually takes the case of pre-marital sex away from the equation, and as a post-graduate in English Literature and an admirer of the literature of all times, I have always wondered about those lines from the Bard Of Avon. True love is not completely about beauty and sex, and pre-marital sex is something that defies the same. The media nowadays might think different, but lets not fall for that.

So, a question comes here. Is pre-marital sex in any way related to true love? I would say no. There is absolutely no need for such stuff in true love, because it is beyond all that. It is the superpower of true love. It extends and stays far above one of the most powerful thing among the Seven Deadly Sins – fornication; that is accomplished by true love with ease due to its power. It might be more difficult these days, but there are not many things that true love is not capable of. Ask any religion about this – all of them have been found for the good of humans, even as some people who are actually non-believers, take things out of the context.

Listen to what the great man says, or at least try – is it too difficult to follow here?

True love’s existence itself is something that creates a leviathan of doubts. But saying no to pre-marital sex is a certainty. There is nothing to be doubtful about it because we have grown up in such a world, rich in its traditions and extravagant in its beliefs. We have been taught to say no to many things, and it has helped the righteousness grown strong in our world, which separates us from many other nations of the world. Do we need to descend into chaos? I wouldn’t want that, because we are civilization which has known righteousness and mutual respect since a very long time ago.

Take the case of the poem When You Are Old by William Butler Yeats. Our poet addresses it to his only love that was never fulfilled and tells her that he loves her not thinking about her physical features – he says “one man loved the pilgrim soul in you”. His love is not of random sexual desires which lead to pre-marital sex. It certainly has platonic elements, and the significance of the same is that his thoughts were free but still pure, and not thinking of pre-marital sex. Is it too difficult to listen to the most creative minds, and one of the best Ireland has ever had?

Poems about love – always helps one to believe in it, right? Just wait till marriage.

The difference between true love and fake love is sex. It stands there between the two separating them, with the fake one taking on the pre-marital sex and the other one tells love to wait for marriage. There is a tug of war going on between the two and the question remains about why one can’t wait? True love waits, and impatience is many things, but not true love. What the lovers need to think about is if it is love or lust that takes over the romance. Is it the infatuation or is it eternal love that you have here – a doubt that is answered only by the existence of absence of pre-marital sex.

Those who support pre-marital sex clearly challenges the idea of true love and are responsible for its near extinction. They are also challenging the Indian culture for the Western tradition which used to be the same at some point of time, but has lost its purity due to giving too much freedom to its people. The freedom that we need is not the freedom of pre-marital sex and similar things, but the freedom to be good and fair. But the West has gone beyond that. Do we need to imitate them? The answer once again is no, except for a few good things.

There are poems, there is romance and there is true love – but no to pre-,marital sex.

Between all these, take some time to read Poonaam Uppal’s True Love – A Mystical True Love Story. This blog post is also part of the contest related to this work True Love – A Mystical True Love Story by Poonaam Uppal, in association with Indiblogger. Yes, true love needs to win, and it doesn’t need pre-marital sex. It needs trust in one another, and the faith that goes beyond all realms, for eternity. I am hoping to read Poonaam Uppal’s book and take that fictional journey from Las Vegas to the Great Himalayas. *In this post, I share the commonly used image of William Shakespeare from his wikipedia page along with two photos of beautiful poetic verses which I captured from the Botanical Garden of Ooty (all are cropped).

[No vampires were harmed while writing this story] [All images used here are from Gillette India’s official Facebook Page].

The settings were all complete for the Great Bloody Day of the Vampires. All arrangements were already done by the Vampire Bat, the Vampire Owl and the vampire apprentices. Vampire Crocodile was in charge of saying the welcome speech and the Vampire Cat with the vote of thanks. There was an unlimited supply of noodles and blood shake arranged by the Vampire Kung-fu Panda Catering service. The Vampire Cat was busy making sure everything was at the right places.

“Surprise! I am here early” screamed Dracula.

“Who are you? What do you want? What business do you have here?” asked the Vampire Owl.

Dracula was in doubt. It was the first time he seemed unknown in the vampire community. No other vampire had ever asked him that question; not even Louis de Pointe du Lac or Lestat de Lioncourt. A lot of them knew him from even a kilometre away; such was the impact created by him.

How many reasons do you need to shave with a Gillette?

“I am your uncle, the great, legendary Dracula” said Dracula.

“No, you are not Dracula. You are just a caveman in a Halloween costume” said the Vampire Crocodile.

“No, I am your most awesome Uncle Dracula. See my fangs?” Dracula said as he showed his teeth.

“No, our uncle is a bloody old man with the looks of a handsome young man. You look like you were wandering in the Carpathians and has now come here to take a free shower” said the Vampire Owl.

“I am Dracula, because my name is Dracula”.

“Yes, you might be a Dracula, but not the Dracula. You were named after our great uncle and teacher?” asked the Vampire Cat.

“What is wrong with you people? This is just the first time that I haven’t shaved”.

Lets learn something from the Wall here.

“No, Dracula never had the facial hair. Human turned Vampires never have that. You are a fake” remarked Vampire Owl.

“I never had the facial hair because I always shaved, you idiots” yelled an angry Dracula.

“We are not accepting that. We don’t see the vampire gentleman in there. It is too risky to let another person into this secret celebrations” said the Vampire Bat.

“See, this is my visiting card; it says Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, Member of the House of Drăculești, Full time Vampire and part time Count, The Vampire Castle”.

“Anyone can make such a card. Do you have an id?” asked the Vampire Bat.

“What id? I don’t need an id. I am the greatest vampire of all time. Why do I need an id?” asked an aggressive Dracula.

“We need to approve you if you are to enter here. So, go and get your id”.

“But it will take me hours to go back there and by then it will be too late. Do you have a razor?” asked a worried Dracula.

Roger Federer. Awesomeness, Class and Gillette.

“No, we don’t keep razors here, because we don’t need that. Now, please leave as we wait for our one true uncle with absolutely no hair on his face” said the Vampire Owl.

“Yes, you shall not have any of my noodles with the special ingredient unless you prove that you are the one” yelled the Vampire Kung-fu Panda from a distance.

“What kind of idiots have I trained? I should have trained a coconut tree and it would have done better than these guys” murmured Dracula as he returned to the castle.

*Moral of the story from Count Dracula: Always shave or lose a significant moment or two.

Please don’t forget to mention that you were referred by me in your post.

Topics for Girls:
An instance when a stubble came in the way of a man’s chance to make a good impression.
An instance when a well groomed look ensured that they struck gold on an opportunity given to them.Topics for Guys:
Missed chances- Stories or instances where you missed out on an opportunity because of a non-shaven face.
Luck or Confidence?- Will you leave your fate in the hands of destiny or will you step up and say yes to a well-groomed face to be at your best everyday? #WillYouShave.

It has been just two months since we moved to our new home – our own renovated house after leaving the life at the flat behind. It has been exactly two months and five days, and I have to say that I am extremely happy to be at this new home, which is a lot better than how I thought a very old home could have been converted into. But is in no way, my dream home, and I am going to visualize one right now with items from Porcelanosa. All the images are from http://www.porcelanosa.com/ where you can check for further details.

I am going to begin with the house that I have, and for the same, the first thing should be the tiles for the floor. My choice here would be Slate which has an impressive and natural look which is my first choice for the floor. It is something that my parents would never allow, but there is nothing like standing on something that looks natural and I would say that there is a certain amount of antiquity associated with it – here is Pizara Kathmandu Pulido that comes to that picture. I would choose natural wood for the sit-out and the balcony area though (Classic Ebano Luxor), as it gives a certain kind of royal look.

Wall tiles are a must to add to the variety, and it is surprising that a good number of houses don’t have the same. For the same, I would add STON-KER wall tiles because I doubt anything else could give the right look for my home. With space left in there for the books, it would look fantastic on my wall. I would just need to find a complimenting paint, and the combination should be pretty much amazing.

The kitchen choice would be the G975 KRION / Ukola model – it looks so simple and elegant, and so neat; we don’t really have that kind of relatives who can keep it neat, but we can always handle that, can’t we? One thing is sure, that people would love to eat there, and the taste of food won’t matter that much as long as we have such an impressive design for kitchen. Do check for the Monomando Nantes taps in the list, it is the perfect tap choice for me.

Then there is the need for furniture; look at this for a dining room, inspiring people to have more of dinner. With Dreams KRION table and Curve Roble Blanco Cal chairs – notice the simplicity, and yet it looks better than the huge dining table and the curved chairs that we have at home – it is not size that matters, as it is the simplicity and usefulness that should define the place that we choose to have our food.

For the bathroom, I take the Victorian Single bathtub to satisfy my love for the Victorian literature and style which I admire the most. It looks so impressive that we can use that for a period drama movie. I would choose mosaic for the walls, and it would be Mini Iris Stone Whites. For showers, I choose the Essence-C set combining modernity with antiquity. Essence-C works nicely for the combination too, as it seems to be the best sanitaryware I can choose for now – wish there was something like that in our local shops. I am also adding the Mood accessories to the list because they would look nice sticking out from the mosaic.

Then look at the wardrobe setting for Natura Roble Marengo / Lino Cancún Textil – it is something like what I should have right now; even though I might not use that for the same purpose at it is made, but it is extremely useful and stylish as one can notice from its looks. I have never seen something like that before, that is for sure. It is the perfect choice for a great bedroom. It is not just a bedroom anymore, but a customized world – it is multi-purpose as far as I am concerned.

This much should be enough for me, and for the rest, I can manage with what I already have. *Part of the Happy Hours campaign from Porcelanosa in association with Indiblogger for the topic “Pick as many items as you can from Porcelanosa to build your dream home. Tell us why you chose them and why”. For more details, please do check at http://www.24kliving.com/